How-To Geek

Several times a year, Google releases a new version of Android with new features and performance improvements. Unfortunately, most Android devices in the wild will never get the update.

Android has taken huge strides since Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but many devices are still using it. If you can’t upgrade your old device, there are ways to make it feel more modern.

Android 4.2 improves on Android 4.1 in numerous ways, adding a variety of new features. Android 4.2 isn’t as big an update as Android 4.1, also called Jelly Bean, but it’s a definite improvement.

Some people think that task killers are important on Android. By closing apps running in the background, you’ll get improved performance and battery life – that’s the idea, anyway. In reality, task killers can reduce your performance and battery life.

If you’re interested in setting up a smart thermostat but put off by the high price of models like the Nest Learning Thermostat, this DIY project uses an old Android phone and a little DIY wiring to automate and network...

If you love keeping an eye at what’s around the corner, this video showcases some of the new features in Gmail for Android–there’s even an APK for those adventurous readers who want to try it.

Once a week we round up some of the tips and tricks you mail in and share them with everyone. This week we’re looking at monitoring your Android device’s battery, DIY camera stabilizers, and a handy Chrome tool for tidying up web pages.

ADB, Android Debug Bridge, is a command-line utility included with Google’s Android SDK. ADB can control your device over USB from a computer, copy files back and forth, install and uninstall apps, run shell commands, and more.

Android: If you want the look of Windows Phone 7 tiles on your Android phone without completely replacing your launcher and interface, Real Widget offers the shortcut tiles without the total overhaul.

Are you experiencing frustration since no one has built and released an official charging dock for the iPhone 5 yet? Then this quick little DIY charging dock project may be the perfect solution to your problem and serve as a ...

Last fall we showed you how to run Android apps on your Windows PC with BlueStacks. Now BlueStacks has partnered with AMD to offer even better Android emulation on AMD-powered Windows machines.

Android includes a built-in way to back up and restore the contents of your phone or tablet. All you need is a computer and a device running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or newer.

Should you leave your laptop plugged in and charging when you’re not on-the-go? What’s best for the battery? What’s best for your user experience? Read on as we investigate.

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ve got a brand spanking new mobile interface to take for a spin. Last week Netflix released a brand new iOS interface, this week it’s a brand new Android interface.

Television watchers are no longer keeping their eyes continuously glued to the screen–increasingly smartphone, tablet, and laptop users have merged their mobile device and television time. Are you one of the second screen multi-taskers?

It’s that tips box time of week again; read on to see how you can print games for cheap entertainment, build a pipe-based monitor stand, and enjoy easy timer countdowns on your Android phone.

Android: While most people love Little Photo for the variety of post-processing special effects it sports, we love it for the dead simple tap the screen to snap shutter system it employs and the full-screen review that follows.

It’s easy to think of a Kindle as just an eBook reader, but it’s so much more than that. It’s an MP3 player, portable web browser (with free Wikipedia access over 3G), gaming device, and image viewer.

Unlike your desktop or the server at work, it’s pretty darn easy to misplace a mobile device. This week we’re interested in hearing your tips and tricks for keeping your mobile data backed up and synced so a missing smartphone doesn’t mean missing data.

There are few security problems a healthy dose of paranoia and know-how can’t take care of. Today we’re looking at how to secure your Android phone’s mobile data connection against intrusion using free software and a simple SSH tunnel.

Google Now, new in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is Google’s attempt to be smarter. It includes cards that automatically provide you with information and voice search integrated with Google’s knowledge graph to provide direct answers to your questions.

Android is very customizable – many of its features are just defaults and can be swapped out for third-party alternatives without any rooting required. Some of these things are possible on a jailbroken iOS device, while some remain impossible.

Once a week we round up some great reader tips and share them with everyone. Read on to see how to make your Android phone look like iOS, use a Google Maps mashup like a time machine, and download Wii game saves.

Each version of Android since Gingerbread (Android 2.3) has included an Easter egg, which is always accessed in the same way. The Easter eggs in the latest versions are becoming more complex, with animations and interactivity.